I know its early days, but I'm getting myself organised this year!

Because our shows tend to be outdoor in summer and very hot, and my dogs are border collies so relatively thick coats and are black and white, I'm looking at options to keep my guys cool, and for the first time, am looking at buying a gazebo/tent sort of affair so they can be in xpens/crates and flop out a bit?

This has been recommended http://www.khyam.co.uk/detail.asp?p=389 but is it too "seethrough" to be cool? Am I better off going for soemthing like this http://www.garden-camping.com/product/3mtr%20x%203mtr%20Waterproof%20Pop%20Up%20Gazebos/3mtr%20x%203mtr%20FULLY%20WATERPROOF%20Red%20Pop%20Up%20Gazebo,%20Gazebo,%20%20with%20Four%20Side%20Panels/136

In the winter my two go into fabric crates on vetbed as where we show can be freezing and this keeps them warmer, so for the summer a wire crate or expen should be cooler? what bedding can I use that won't warm them up?

Do portable airblowers exist that could be used to blow cooler air around (I know I'd need to stick iceblocks in front of them so they don't just blow warm air about)

Can anyone suggest any other cooling measures?

I bought a cheap white gazebo from asda, I put it up over the car with the back door left open. I have a tailgate guard, window grilles and sun screens too and the inside of the car is always cooler than anywhere else. The gazebo did come with sides but I don't use them as I prefer to have as much air flowing around as possible.

I like to soak the dogs too to cool then down if we're at the racing, and soak their vet bed in cold water.

If it's very hot we just don't leave the house.

This is my set up on a very sunny day.

we got one of those gazebos off ebay.  fine as long as the wind doesn't get up lol

If it's windy enough to blow the gazebo away it's probably going to be cool enough for the dogs :-)

I think tent type shelters are quite hot have you ever stayed in a tent in the summer....phew ...I think a normal crate with a cooler cover over the top to keep the sun out is better and lets the air circulate.

Although I dont go to that many summer shows as I dont think its fair to the dogs ..the last show I did in the summer was  a border union few years ago when it was scorching ..swore I wouldnt do it again...I nearly fainted myself!
I may enter but if the weather is too hot I just dont go.

I would personally go for the khyam.  I do alot of agility shows and on some show grounds (such as Newbury) they are really open to the elements so it could be scorching hot but it seems even with the slightest bit of wind a gazebo takes off (ive given up on mine :(  ) ive seen lots of people use the khyams and they seem to be really cool (and also would be really good to shelter if its raining !!! )

I have one of the Umbrella Fishing shelter type things - very easy to put up (just like an Umbrella :) ) then you secure the guy ropes around it.  Has zip on/off sides so can be sued just as a sun shade.  Have seen some much prettier ones at quite a few shows, still umbrella type, but a sort of cross between a sun umbrella and a gazebo - Navy Blue trimmed with white, with 4 Gazebo type "legs" pinning down the corners, and detachable sides.  Have searched all over the net and not been able to find them

I have 2 big silver covers which tie on.  It means you can cover whichever side is getting the sun and if need be I put one over the roof of the car to keep it cool.

I got mine from Crufts but am sure yo can buy them on the internet.

We have one of these navy blue type shelters. We bought it from Lidl a few years ago for about £20. It's great as we can get dogs cages and a couple of chairs as well as grooming table under it. It is umbrella style with two detachable half sides and four guy ropes with pins to secure to ground. have used this at most of the sumer shows the last couple of years and even if bit of wind blowing still stays secure when umbrellas are flying about!!

the people who do the windbreaks at the shows were last year selling a funny type of umbrllea uhv proof and everything they were at border union and often advertise in dog world and our dogs saw someone using one a few times last year for hot weather. make a coat for your dog out of a towel with ties at chest and waist to tie it on, when needed soak in ice cold water (old pop bottles half full with cold water place in freezer and morning of show top up with cold place in a cool bag(they also do double duty as ice packs) used them last year at leeds champ and cleveland county the following day and they were still partly frozen from 7.30 in the morning and this was at 3.30 on a very hot day i gave a lady from scotland three bottles to get her back home with as she had run out of water and couldnt find the stand pipe also canvas crates are not the best in hot weather a metal crate in shade is more air flow we have shown in 2006 four dogs outside in 34 degrees and cars ringside(gazebo over car) cotton beds, cage fans iced water in breed, group, group avs, best puppy is show, av classes two being tricolours and not one hot dog or even panting used the shade in the ring and all wore coats you could see the steam rising off them in the car blinds on all windows from front seat back and windows semi down when traveling and cage fans going and coup cups of water in travelling crates and not an issue came back for east of england this year on thursday and they were cooler than we were as they coats can be used for travelling in

I use cage fans.  You can get outdoor "mister" fans that are portable but I have not seen them in the UK.  The reflective cage covers are good, I leave the sides up that are not in the full sun.  You can get "cool pads" for dogs, some are soaked in water and work by evaporation.  I take the largish freezer blocks for chilling food and put some under the thin vet bed in the crates, Ikea have some nice light and thin ones that are very cheap and stay frozen for hours.  I lived and showed in a hot country at one time, 85 + for 9 months of the year.  Found this worked well. 

These are a bit pricey but very good, I have used them whilst abroad.

http://www.silvershademesh.com/Index.html

Jeff.

Thanks everyone.

The fishing umbrella shelters sound intreging, does anyone have a pic? The Khyam is still the forerunner but this could all change depending on postage to this little rock

This is the one I have - from Argos  sorry, can't do proper links

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3250936/Trail/searchtext%3EFISHING+UMBRELLA.htm

Problem is I'm not strong enough to bang pegs into the ground, also some venues might prefer you not to. I have a cage fan, plenty of water for the dogs, and a silver reflective coat. I suppose I should buy a 2nd one if I'm planning on taking both the Cavs this summer!

The pegs which came with mine are very fine, and slide into the ground easily (have arthritis in my hands and even I manage).  Never had any porblems wiht them at open shows, but did notice last year that some Ch shows were objecting to Gazebos, sun shades etc.  Think is is an "Elf n Safety " thing

Not much call for champ shows with my current 2 dogs, open and companion are the current level alas - not that they aren't more fun in many ways!

cool coats are good for my 3 who all have a thick heavy double coat, you wet the coat and they were it but it doesnt get the coat wet, they were them in there soft crates and never feel hot to the touch when you take them off.